Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday said steps will be taken to ensure the safety of the bridge over the Umiam dam.
His statement came a day after the Meghalaya High Court had directed the state to ban vehicles carrying loads of more than 10 metric tons from plying over the Umiam bridge following the suggestion that the existing bridge may not be able to bear the present traffic load.
During the hearing on a PIL on Wednesday, the High Court had noted that both the National Highways Authority of India and the Border Roads Organisation agree that the Umiam Bridge now in place should be replaced by a more robust construction that will be able to bear the regular traffic.
The BRO had also indicated in its affidavit that vehicles bearing a total weight in excess of 10 MT should not be allowed on the bridge.
The two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh said there is no doubt that implicit in such a suggestion is that the existing bridge may not be able to bear the present traffic load.
The court had directed the state to make every endeavour to ensure that a replacement is planned and the work commenced without waiting for the existing bridge to collapse.
“Measures should be taken so that the traffic is regulated at either end and the flow is not disrupted, yet not too many vehicles use the bridge at the same time,” it said.
The court further asserted that the state may approach the Union for the release of appropriate funds.